Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Year-End Donations Help *You* in the Long Run

As the year closes, just wanted to take one last minute and remind you that...

Your continued support of tutoring and mentoring benefits you, your families, and your community.

How?

By donating whatever you can to not-for-profits such as Cabrini Connections and Tutor/Mentor Connection -- programs that host and support tutor/mentor programs -- you help students (that might otherwise give up hope and choose unproductive life paths) achieve greater success in academics, and the tools to participate in constructive career and life paths.

Many kids here leave the Cabrini Green neighborhood and go onto college, become community advocates and leaders, and/or (bare minimum) get a fairer shake in the job market as consumers.

The result for YOU is less crime, a stronger local economy, motivated participants in our democracy, a diversified labor/leader/advocate pool, better neighbors, new friends, and awesome karma in 2009.

Thanks to all of you who attended the Schubas benefit concert, and who have already spent what you can on tutoring and mentoring this year.

I enjoyed making maps and playing a bit of guitar for the cause in 2008, and look forward to working with you in 2009 to help support/improve these programs for our students.


PS..... If you would still like to contribute to an improved society through tutoring and mentoring, please make a year end donation.

And feel free to subscribe to any of the following blogs to learn about the students, and their success stories through the programs:



Peace and Happiness in 2009!

Donations: http://www.cabriniconnections.net/donate/donate_online.asp
(or contact Cassina Sanders directly at cassinaz.cabrini@gmail.com or 312-492-9614 )

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Your Holiday Donations Help Us Make Maps into Obama's Administration

Thanks for everyone who made it to my favorite venue in Chicago - Schubas - this past Friday to listen to some music in support of tutoring and mentoring. And of course, thanks to Schubas for donating 100% of the door to Cabrini Connections as well! (A great example of community leaders creatively using their resources - their niche - to make a difference in the lives of Chicago's students during the holiday season.)

I was really very excited to perform at the event with my band, "Trakan"... alongside Chris Warren's band "Howling Poppies" (Chris in a coordinator for Cabrini Connections, and occasionally plays drums with us, as seen in the picture above - taken at the Schubas benefit).

From the stage, we had an opportunity to briefly remind the audience why tutoring and mentoring is such a vital cause, and to thank them for doing what they could (by attending if nothing else) to contribute. (Then, of course, we rocked their asses :)

To everyone who could not attend the performance, I would like to personally thank you for any help you have provided for the cause this past year, and for any time or funds donated to Cabrini Connections and/or Tutor/Mentor Connection.

Which reminds me - please don't forget that your contributions as volunteers, donors, messengers, hosts, etc... to these sister organizations don't just help the Cabrini students. They help us continue to make the maps featured here on this blog...


...Maps which have been used by community, business, spiritual, and political leaders to develop strategies that have led to the creation of new programs in areas of need (areas which are easily exposed by creating maps and other visual representations of existing data).

As we move into 2009, on the day President Elect Obama has introduced Chicago Public Schools boss Arne Duncan as Secretary of Education, I can't help but hope our city's tutoring and mentoring programs can serve as exemplary models for the nation moving forward. And I dream of continuing to create maps that can be used as strategic tools by the President and his Secretary of Education to make this hope reality.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Holiday Concert For Tutoring and Mentoring THIS FRIDAY!

We talk about issues related to "poor student performance" and povery all the time... whether in blogs or face to face... and while many of us have decided to volunteer or donate or make contributions toward the tutoring/mentoring cause in different (sometimes creative) ways, here is a no-commitment, laid-back, fun way to help tutoring and mentoring programs this weekend!!

Come out to Schubas this Friday, and hear four bands and have a few drinks... all to support tutoring and mentoring!

What can be easier or more fun?

In fact, the event is only from 6 till 9, so you can use this as a stepping stone into even more Friday fun late into the evening!


Your $30 ticket buys you one complimentary drink and four bands at the legendary venue.(100% of the ticket sales - and Trakan CD sales that night - will be donated to Tutor/Mentor Connection and Cabrini Connections.)

Can't wait to see you!

And hey, if you can't make it to the north side of Chicago, of course there are other ways you can make a charitable donation to the cause this holiday season.

Donations can be made at the following links:

Tutor/Mentor Connection
Cabrini Connections

Happy holidays!

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Maps at the November Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking Conferences

A couple times each year, Cabrini Connections and Tutor/Mentor Connection organize a local conference of folks who are involved with, or interested in tutoring and mentoring. With the goal of sharing resources and information, people come from all over the region and throughout the country to attend workshops and speak on panels.

The most recent of these "Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking Conferences" occured at the end of last month, on Friday November 21 at the Field Museum. The event was attended by 95 people, all of whom were greated by blown-up poster-sized versions of some of the maps featured throughout this blog! (Thanks David!)

I was also honored to have a chance to present with Dan Bassill in a workshop called "Mapping Collaborative Strategies," where I had another chance to give a tour of our maps to a new audience, and explain how they are used. A lot like I did in this blog.

It was great actually meeting other tutor/mentor professionals, and having a chance to talk with a handful who approached me afterward to discuss possible collaborations in creating mapping solutions for their unique strategic tutoring/mentoring purposes. Of course, I am willing to assist others and share information, and look forward to any partnerships this project might generate in our combined struggle against poverty.

And of course, the conference gives me a new opportunity to make more maps!

As I did back for the May conference, I took attendee data, and created a few maps that show where attendees are working in relationship to eachother - a visual directory of attendees.

As always, clicking on these maps will bring up a larger, more detailed version in your browser.

This first map shows organizations and participants that travelled from outlying areas and from across state lines:


The second map zooms to the entire Chicagoland region and plots organizations and individuals who attended, against poverty data collected by the Census Bureau in 2000. This of course helps to show where, in relation to poverty, these local participants are working with kids:


Lastly, I zoomed to the downtown locations. (Unfortunately the near west side was not represented too strongly in attendance this fall.)


But in all, attendance was really strong for a one-day conference, and spending time hearing participants discuss important strategies pertaining to networking, volunteer recruitment, and fundraising was time well-spent for everyone.

For more information on the conference, please take a look at Dan's blog or Nicole's blog.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Banks and Tutoring/Mentoring: Benefits for All

Note: This article was written in 2008. Ideas still relevant in 2016.

Dan Bassill writes in his latest blog about one of the biggest challenges faced by non-school tutoring and mentoring programs: A lack of funding for general operations. In fact, Tutor/Mentor Connection (where I work) is in the same building as Dan's T/M program, Cabrini Connections (which works with kids from the Cabrini Green neighborhood)... so I've had the unique opportunity to witness these funding struggles from the front-row.

But funding isn't the only challenge faced by a not-for-profit like a T/M program. Work is also ongoing to recruit talented, dedicated staff and volunteers who will make long-term commitments to being part of such programs.

And while, on occasion, small successes in recruiting and fundraising are celebrated (allowing operations to continue quarter-by-quarter), ideally, programs need to be sustained for years so that relationships can form, and volunteers and business partners can influence student aspirations and career choices.

If only more businesses would invest in tutor/mentor programs, long-term, as part of their own human capital development. Dan explains, "If we can help more kids from poor neighborhoods move to jobs and careers, we diversify the workforce, and help find new workers to replace retirees who will be leaving the workforce over the next 15 years." Furthermore, it stands to reason that kids who gain skills through tutoring and mentoring move onto higher education and careers... escaping poverty... and ultimately having more cash in hand, as consumers, to ensure the growth of local markets for a business' goods and services.

In past blogs, I've looked at how companies like CVS actually do have a strong philanthropic presence in the community. Today, I've created maps that help show how some of the major banks in Chicago might support the growth of tutor/mentor programs in neighborhoods where they have branch banks, and help recruit volunteers who travel to and from work via the major expressways, as volunteers, leaders and donors.

Banks whose locations I have mapped include:
Please click on individual links to see how these maps can be used as tools to help banks and tutor/mentor programs work together for the benefit of everybody.

Banks and Tutoring/Mentoring: Park National

One of a series of maps, created in 2008, that show how area banks can help themselves by helping tutor/mentor programs, Park National:


(click on the map above to see "full-sized" version)

Branches in the West and South parts of the city could be meeting places for community and business partners working together to help create new tutor/mentor programs in under-served areas. Park National has also been a sponsor of the annual Cabrini Connections Golf Benefit.
Its branch in Roseland is near Salem Baptist Church which is led by State Senator James Meeks. That branch of Park National Bank could be a catalyst in the Roseland/Pullman area, for the growth of tutor/mentor programs.

To learn more about the benefits of volunteer involvement for businesses, and how tutoring and mentoring can assist workforce development, please take a look at the following Tutor/Mentor Institute document.

And for more information on why tutoring and mentoring makes sense in general, please read this document.

Banks and Tutoring/Mentoring: MB Financial

One of a series of maps, created in 2008, that show how area banks can help themselves by helping tutor/mentor programs, MB Financial:



(click on the map above to see "full-sized" version)

Branches in the North and Northwest part of the city could support tutor/mentor programs in this area, and help encourage volunteers from the suburbs who work at other businesses, to become part of tutor/mentor programs in areas where it has branch banks.

Interestingly, MB Financial has been a sponsor of the annual Cabrini Connections Golf Benefit since 1995. This is a perfect example of how local businesses in the Chicago community area can band together to host workplace fund raising, and other benefits, that support the operations of tutor/mentor programs in areas where they do business, while also supporting the role the Tutor/Mentor Connection takes in creating these maps and encouraging networking and information sharing.

To learn more about the benefits of volunteer involvement for businesses, and how tutoring and mentoring can assist workforce development, please take a look at the following Tutor/Mentor Institute document.

And for more information on why tutoring and mentoring makes sense in general, please read this document.

Banks and Tutoring/Mentoring: Citibank

One of a series of maps, created in 2008, that show how area banks can help themselves by helping tutor/mentor programs, Citibank:


(click on the map above to see "full-sized" version)
There are Citibank locations throughout the city, with branches in areas where there is a dire need for more volunteer-based tutor/mentor programs. In these neighborhoods, Citibanks can advocate for tutoring and mentoring on several levels - from helping to fund new and existing programs, to recruiting volunteers, to hosting meeting places.

To learn more about the benefits of volunteer involvement for businesses, and how tutoring and mentoring can assist workforce development, please take a look at the following Tutor/Mentor Institute document.

And for more information on why tutoring and mentoring makes sense in general, please read this document.

Banks and Tutoring/Mentoring: Chase Banks

One of a series of maps, created in 2008, that show how area banks can help themselves by helping tutor/mentor programs, Chase Banks:


(click on the map above to see "full-sized" version)
Chase branches are throughout the city, but there is a strong concentration along the Kennedy, and stretching through the North side of the city. You can click on the map image and see an enlarged version. As you look at each map, our goal is that volunteer teams form, who lead an on-going learning and leadership process, using the branch bank as a meeting place, an advocate for local programs, and even a potential site where kids and volunteers can meet once a week during non-school hours.

To learn more about the benefits of volunteer involvement for businesses, and how tutoring and mentoring can assist workforce development, please take a look at the following Tutor/Mentor Institute document.

And for more information on why tutoring and mentoring makes sense in general, please read this document.

Banks and Tutoring/Mentoring: Charter One

One of a series of maps, created in 2008, that show how area banks can help themselves by helping tutor/mentor programs, Charter One:


(click on the map above to see "full-sized" version)
Charter One's locations in the Southwest and South part of Chicago could help increase the number of tutor/mentor programs in this area, working with churches and other banks in this area.

To learn more about the benefits of volunteer involvement for businesses, and how tutoring and mentoring can assist workforce development, please take a look at the following Tutor/Mentor Institute document.

And for more information on why tutoring and mentoring makes sense in general, please read this document.

Banks and Tutoring/Mentoring: Bank of America



(click on the map above to see "full-sized" version)
While there a dozens of locations throughout the city, notice the concentration in the area between the Eisenhower and Stevenson Expressways, as well as the Northwest part of the city. If teams form at one, or more branches of a bank with many locations, each team may take a different role in supporting neighborhood tutor/mentor programs. If these teams connect and share ideas via the Internet, and company-organized events, they learn from each other and build relationships that help in the workplace, as well as in developing and sustaining tutor/mentor programs.

To learn more about the benefits of volunteer involvement for businesses, and how tutoring and mentoring can assist workforce development, please take a look at the following Tutor/Mentor Institute document.

And for more information on why tutoring and mentoring makes sense in general, please read this document.

Banks and Tutoring/Mentoring: Banco Popular

One of a series of maps, created in 2008, that show how area banks can help themselves by helping tutor/mentor programs, Banco Popular:



(click on the map above to see "full-sized" version)

Mostly concentrated on the west side, on the fringes of some of the highest poverty regions in the city, Banco Popular branches along the Kennedy Expressway, and near Ogden Avenue can advocate for tutoring and mentoring on several levels - from helping to fund new and existing programs, to recruiting volunteers, to hosting meeting places.

To learn more about the benefits of volunteer involvement for businesses, and how tutoring and mentoring can assist workforce development, please take a look at the following Tutor/Mentor Institute document.

And for more information on why tutoring and mentoring makes sense in general, please read this document.

Monday, October 27, 2008

The 34th Illinois House District

Recently, I posted several maps that examined the Illinois 15th State Senate District. Today I would like to focus in on the 34th Illinois House District, currently represented by Connie Howard.

I want to emphasize out of the gate that when we make maps to showcase a political leader's district, the maps are not intended to show where service work is, or is not occurring. They are also not meant to endorse, or criticize elected leaders (The voters should make those decisions).

So why do we create maps? Again, we are just trying to analyze specific areas in the Chicago area to see if the spatial data reveal any areas where where additional support for tutoring and/or mentoring programs may be needed... areas where underserved children live with disadvantages created by poverty and underperforming schools and, with a little help, may end up on a better path to higher education and fruitful employment (versus paths ridden with crime and hardship that are frequently exploited by the media).

So let's see what the data we've collected might tell us. In this first map... and please click on any of these maps for a bigger, higher-resolution version...






... we see that Howard's district is made up of a slice of far-southern Chicago neighborhoods, and a sliver of near-south suburbs, cut in half by Lake Calumet. Interstate 94 runs most of the length, transporting potential volunteers past the impoverished Pullman, South Shore and Chatham neighborhoods on their commutes to work. I-80 and I-90 also pass through her district and may serve a similar function.

We also see clearly that there are pockets of relative high-poverty, some associated "failing schools," and... as is often the case, far too few tutor/mentor programs. In fact, we know of only one tutor program, two mentor programs, and zero mixed full-service tutor/mentor options for parents and kids.




Now of course, it is possible that other programs exist in the area, but are not in our database. We live far away and are not as in-touch with the community as those who live there. With this in mind, Hospitals and Universities can help the T/MC update its data, so that the information provided in our maps represent the most comprehensive, and up-to-date data.

Perhaps, for example, the geography department at Chicago State can encourage student teams to research/unveil additional programs and resources... maybe working with us to practice mapping the communities in which they are closely invested.

And, as was the case with Mt. Sinai Hospital in Lawndale, as reported recently by Dan Bassill, Hospital leaders at Jackson Park Hospital can perhaps work together to build strategies that create/support new and existing programs... or encourage staff to volunteer at existing programs?

If you would like to learn more about these strategies, we have discussed the role of Universities and Hospitals specifically in previous blogs.

As has also been discussed in prior blogs, Places of Worship and their congregations provide ideal hosting sites for new programs, as well as places where sermons can tie scripture to service, while pointing members to existing tutor/mentor programs.

Here is a selection of known Places of Worship in the 34th District:




Here are several more:




And of course, tutor/mentor programs are usually operating on shoe-string "not-for-profit"-sized budgets. Large corporations can invest in kids (their future work-force and future customers) by supporting education in their neighborhood through tutoring and mentoring.

As mentioned in prior blogs, businesses need to dig into their philanthropic budgets to fund the programs. This is such a priority. Without funding, programs die and kids are turned back to the streets for guidance.

Businesses can also encourage employees to volunteer.

And/or perhaps they can use their web presence to educate the masses about opportunities to help T/M programs, and why it's so important... maybe they simply post information in-store, spreading the word to customers, clients, and parents?

Mass-Market Retailers (such as pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens) can serve all of these functions:




So can banks!

And of course, why do I mention all of this in the context of an elected political leader?

Well, quite simply, no one guards the best interests of a population like an elected leader. And I can only assume these political leaders are strongly interested in the benefits tutoring/mentoring can bring to the families in their constituency.

It stands to reason then, that political leaders would want to look at these maps - using them as tools - when working with other community leaders (from businesses, places of worship, schools, hospitals, and universities) to build strategies that create and fund tutor/mentor programs...

And in turn, improve the prospects for our children, our economy, and our democracy.

Mt. Sinai Hospital - How can this map be used by the surrounding community?


Recently, Dan Bassill at Tutor/Mentor Connection reconnected with leaders at Mt. Sinai Hospital. He has encouraged them in the past to adopt the role of a Hospital Tutor/Mentor Connection, and reports that the Hospital has indeed launched a Tutor/Mentor program to assist the thousands of CPS students in the vicintity of Lawndale in their struggle to overcome obstacles presented by extreme poverty and underachieving schools.

In his blog he breaks down, in amazing detail, how this map can be used by Hospital leaders at Mt. Sinai and elsewhere... by Fortune 500/1000 company Ryerson, Inc. ... and by the many faith groups near the hospital... each of whom can support the growth of tutor/mentor programs in this area through volunteering, funding, hosting, etc.

Please give Dan's blog a read. It may the most thorough overview on how these maps can be (and hopefully are being) used.

Friday, October 10, 2008

S.O.N. Foundation - Working with the T/MC and the Roseland Community

I would like to introduce the S.O.N. Foundation, a mentor program started by Mr. Robert M. Douglas, and his wife Jacqueline - both business owners who grew up in, and live in the Roseland Community. Mr. and Mrs. Douglas are taking on a much-needed leadership role, in creating a new mentoring program in Chicago. They are actively trying to "build relationships with Churches, Schools, Parks, Business Owners, Police, and Government Officials in and around the Roseland Community. " (This "relationship building" thing sound familiar?)

Just starting out, the S.O.N. Foundation has 20 kids involved and 10 mentors. They explain that they created the program in response to their recognition that someone needs to be "working with youth, developing their skills and turning them away from gangs and drugs" ... "because with out some help our youth will continue suffer." The solution again? Mentorship. Their philosophy is that "if a boy sees a man he can become a man" and through the efforts of adult volunteer mentors, children can become responsible and successful adults, "saving our neighborhoods one block at a time."

But where do you start if YOU want to start a tutoring and/or mentoring program? Well, Mr. Douglas came to visit Dan Bassill at Tutor/Mentor Connection to pick his brain. As Dan says in a recent blog, "The Tutor/Mentor Connection would be happy to meet with your group to help you understand how to use [our] maps, and to coach you on building support for tutor/mentor programs. We'll host a conference on November 21 at The Chicago Field Museum. We hope you'll attend, and begin this learning process."

Next, Mr. Douglas sat down with Nicole here, and the two of them collaborated to create the S.O.N. Foundation blog. This blogging/communicating process is essential. It is crucial that organizations active in tutoring and mentoring are sharing ideas, and broadcasting their messages/services. How else can we learn to better serve the kids? How else can kids and parents learn about us? How else can volunteers and donors have "Wow! I had no idea these programs even existed! I want to help!" moments?

And of course, through an active web presence, awareness of the work others are doing, and potential partnerships can develop. And, well... as in any war, there is strength in numbers, right?

By the way, maybe "Roseland Community" sounds familiar? Maybe you read my blog yesterday about how Illinois Senator Rev. Meeks and his congregation at Salem Baptist Church of Chicago - in Roseland - might use my maps and the T/MC resources at the Tutor/Mentor Institute to increase support for tutoring and mentoring in his district and within the area surrounding the church.

So here we have a grassroots mentoring movement in Roseland, a high profile political and church leader (with a history of investing in mentoring) in Roseland, and resources available through the T/MC to help both of them team up and help develop strategies to build programs, and improve existing programs, for their community's kids (perhaps even implementing a tutoring element to their mentor programs)...

This is a case study in how this should all come together and work.

And a great story on which to end the week.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Senator Reverend Meeks (Working with Maps and Politicians To Promote the Development of T/M Programs - Part III)

We here at The Tutor/Mentor Connection (T/MC) are always encouraged when community leaders use their position and visibility to spark debate in the never-ending search for solutions to failing schools and poverty. For the past several months, Illinois State Senator James Meeks has been an enormous sparkplug in the news, stirring controversy which has successfully forced these issues into the spotlight.
For instance, over the summer, he blamed Chicago's Mayor Daley for the miserable conditions of schools in segregated and impoverished sections of Chicago. Senator Meeks has also been in the news recently for leading a boycott of Chicago Public Schools (whereby kids would skip the first day of classes and travel to enroll in prestigious New Trier High School in affluent Winnetka... in an effort to spotlight inequity in public school funding). And most recently, he was in the news during the Cubs' (brief) playoff appearance, when he organized a demonstration for school-funding reform by encircling Wrigley Field with parents and students during the Cubs' first playoff game.

Now I'm not supporting or condoning the appropriateness of these strategies. But clearly they were effective in getting the stories toward the front page. Back in August, Dan Bassill wondered if this is enough. In a blog he wrote back then, he challenged both the media AND politicians such as Meeks, suggesting that, "writing infrequent, sensationalist, media stories; making speeches, and marching in the streets won’t get more people personally involved in helping other people’s kids grow up. [Meeks], the mayor, and the media need to be thinking of new ways to get business people (of all colors, and from the city and suburbs) personally engaged in the lives of economically-disadvantaged kids. To me, that means they should be talking about volunteer-based tutoring/mentoring... They should also be talking about how churches, banks, and community health centers in high poverty neighborhoods, and along the routes city workers take in coming and going to work each day, could be hosts to tutor/mentor programs... Finally, they should be thinking of ways to encourage people who go to church every Sunday might give 2 to 3% of their wealth each year to support these tutor/mentor programs... Non school programs need an infusion of private sector and corporate money. Who better to lead in the giving than people of faith?"
And this is what makes Senator Meeks an interesting ally for all of us involved with tutoring and mentoring. In addition to being an influential politician who is championing efforts to improve schools and fight poverty, he is an influential church leader, presiding over the (large) congregation at Salem Baptist Church of Chicago on the far South side, near his 15th district.
So with this in mind, I would like to explore how the Tutor/Mentor Connection's (T/MC) maps can be used as tools to help Senator Reverend Meeks and his constituents work to create strategies that promote the development of tutor/mentor programs.


(click on the map above to see "full-sized" version)
The left portion of the first map features the Illinois 15th State Senate District, currently represented by Reverend Meeks. The northern tip pushes across Chicago city boundaries, but the majority of his jurisdiction is "near-south suburban" and split among relative poverty and affluence. Please note that there are FOUR major highways here, two of which bring commuters directly into, and out of the city. Potential volunteers come through the district and could certainly help support Tutor/Mentor Programs in the 15th and elsewhere in the city.

And speaking of mixed Tutor/Mentor programs, there are not a lot of known ones here, it seems. We currently know of a mere three (3) mixed tutor/mentor programs in the 15th district. This is not uncommon though - as we've seen, there just aren't enough anywhere.

I'm completely confident, however, that Reverend Meeks (whose church and surrounding neighborhoods are featured in the inset map at the top-right corner of this map) would be interested in seeing this map, and working to increase this number of programs. How can I be sure? Well, his public service record is extremely impressive, serving as as the Executive Vice President of the National Rainbow-PUSH Coalition; as a member of the Board of Directors for the Chicago Fire Department, the Roseland Community Hospital, the Korean American Merchant Association, and the Olive Branch Mission.

And look at this! He has apparently already created a mentoring program called “It Takes a Village,” to provide support and assistance to pregnant youth and young mothers! (We do not have this program in our Chicago Tutor/Mentor Program List, and would love to work with Senator Meeks to help support this program, and to build strategies that will increase the availability of tutoring and mentoring in his district.)
(click on the map above to see "full-sized" version)
This second map features hospitals in his district (interestingly we know of no universities or colleges in this district). As we've discussed in earlier blogs, Universities and Hospitals have important and intimate relationships with their communities, and can work to support the growth of Tutor/Mentor programs.

As pointed out above, Reverend Meeks already has a working relationship with Roseland Community Hospital. Perhaps he has already considered forming learning circles which can meet at the hospital - complete with hospital leaders developing engagement strategies that might reach more youth throughout the entire district. Perhaps he or other hospital leaders would like to know about the T/MC's presentation: Tutor/Mentor Hospital Connection.

(click on the map above to see "full-sized" version)


Lastly, and perhaps most-obviously, as pastor of Salem Baptist Church of Chicago, Reverend Meeks has the ear of over 24,000 followers.

As discussed in the blog on Chicago's Places of Worship, the Tutor/Mentor Institute has a document called "How Faith Communities Can Lead Volunteer Mobilization For Tutor/Mentor Programs", detailing how all church leaders "can be delivering sermons on a regular basis, that tie scripture and service, and point members to tutor/mentor programs that already exist, or to neighborhoods, where new programs need to be created."

Furthermore, Reverend Meeks's influence surely stretches beyond his congregation and into neighboring Baptist churches, Catholic churches, and other "general" Christian congregations in his district (shown in the map above).

(click on the map above to see "full-sized" version)



Also, there are Episcopal, Lutheran, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches within the influence of Reverend Meeks. Each of these locations represent additional sites where congregations can meet to learn about tutoring and mentoring, and where church leaders can evangelize to get donors to contribute to the growth of programs. Please refer also to Tutor/Mentor Institute's suggested communications strategy for Faith Communities.

In sum, regardless of what you think of Senator Reverend Meeks's techniques in his fight against unjust forces that impede the progress of kids in underserved communities throughout in Illinois, you cannot deny that his heart and passion - and leadership both politically and spiritually - make him a perfect candidate to advocate on behalf of tutoring and mentoring. I am certain that the T/MC and Reverend Meeks will form a perfect alliance for this cause.

I should mention, if it's not already clear, that these maps are not intended to show where service work is, or is not occurring. They are also not meant to endorse, or criticize elected leaders. The voters should make those decisions.

Note: since 2011 the Tutor/Mentor Connection has been operated by Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC. While this is not a tax exempt organization, it still depends on contributions to continue this work. Please consider a small donation this holiday season

Saturday, October 4, 2008

What IS the Tutor/Mentor Connection? A Tour in Maps!

This past week, Nicole at Cabrini Connections and Tutor/Mentor Connection (T/MC) asked me to join her for a visit to The Field Museum here in Chicago. The goal of the meeting was two-fold.

First, T/MC is always looking for partners in their fight against poverty and The Field Museum does some incredible outreach work with kids throughout the city. There is a definite potential for collaboration and partnership here.

Second, The Field Museum had shown interest in possibly hosting the T/MC's autumn Tutor/Mentor Conference (where tutor/mentor professionals meet and exchange ideas, side by side with anybody from the public who wants to come learn more about services available to the community and children).

I was honored when Nicole asked me to come with a handful of maps, and invited me to demonstrate why maps are so important in the work the T/MC does. But honestly, I was a little nervous. How would they be received? I had never done this before.

I decided to focus on clearing up any possible confusion as to what we do at the T/MC. Because the work that the T/MC does is really complicated, multi-faceted, and potentially confusing at first. "Tutor/Mentor Connection".... "Cabrini Connections"... sounds similar. What's the difference? What exactly does the T/MC want to accomplish? You can read about it... you can listen to us talk all day long... but maps give a visual to grab onto, and it's effective.

I was really proud and encouraged by the enthusiasm the maps generated among our new friends at The Field Museum. And I'm excited to report that the conference will be held there on Friday November 21st. Thank you so much Julie, Clinton, Darnell, Mara, and Andy!

I would LOVE the opportunity to come to any of your organizations to demonstrate the work the T/MC does through maps (please do ask).

In fact, maybe I should give a little taste of this presentation right here in this blog for anyone who is confused!

Simply put, "Cabrini Connections" is a single "Tutor/Mentor Program," where middle-school and junior high kids from the Cabrini Green neighborhood come to work with every-day professionals from around the area... working adults like you and me who volunteer their time, giving the kids extra help they need to achieve greater success and confidence at school... and ultimately go on to college and productive careers.

That's "Cabrini Connections"... a single program that focuses on kids in one small neighborhood.

"Tutor/Mentor Connection" (TM/C) is different. It doesn't work with the kids directly. Instead, it keeps a database of ALL T/M Programs (of which Cabrini Connections is only 1 of 200+). T/MC acts as a central directory where parents can find a program that specializes in their kids' needs (location, age group served, etc.)

But more! T/MC is looking to share ideas, goals, and strategies among all programs (of which, again, Cabrini Connections is only 1 of 200+)... an exchange of ideas - to ensure that existing programs maximize their growth/potential with their particular group of kids. Many documents geared toward this sharing these ideas exist in the T/MC's forums and in their library - the Tutor/Mentor Institute. Additionally, T/MC occasionally organizes a semi-annual conference to bring as many people together as possible to exchange ideas and information in person.

But more still! T/MC analyzes the program location data to determine where programs do NOT exist - where, among the most impoverished, high-need areas... where kids are lost in school and running the streets - do we need leadership in creating NEW T/M programs? What resources out there can host and/or finance these new programs... and what resources are available for getting the word out to people who do not even know these programs exist?

This is where maps are extremely helpful. This is what I do.

So, at The Field Museum, I showed a few maps I created. First, the location of all Baptist Churches in Chicago. Notice how many are concentrated in high-poverty, high-need areas:

These churches and their congregations may not have the financial support needed to support the existing programs. But they would make great locations for NEW programs in neighborhoods where the school system is failing the children, and where these students desperately need additional tutoring and mentoring. And the church leaders here can broadcast the message to unknowing parents in the congregation, and make them aware that T/M services exist for their children's benefit.

Then I showed the Lutheran Churches:

Of course, there are Lutheran congregations in high-poverty areas too - and these can serve many of the same functions as the Baptists. But, those in more affluent areas might want to help in other ways too. Perhaps members in the wealthier suburbs who commute, using highways that slice through the high-poverty areas, can take some time each week to volunteer as a mentor. Perhaps their places of employment have philanthropic money budgeted and would like to help contribute financially.

Of course, we here at T/MC have mapped the locations of many other Christian denominations, as well as the locations of Jewish, and Non-Judeo-Christian faiths. I simply chose these two as examples.

Next, I showed those at the meeting the map which illustrates how political leaders can organize resources in their districts, using the Illinois 14th Senate District map.



(click on the map above to see "full-sized")


This map shows the location of universities and hospitals which might have faculty/employees/students/leaders who want to work in a hosting, donating, or informational capacity... to support the kids who reside in the 14th district. Of course, we're not intending to single out the 14th district. This is just one district chosen to exemplify how the TM/C maps can help leaders in a given community organize their efforts to support tutoring and mentoring.

Ultimately the benefit is for everyone. Educated kids who get off the street, take a vested interest in a democracy, help participate in our local economies, and ultimately become leaders themselves... In many communities, some kids are afraid to leave their house, as the Sun-Times reports, due to the rampant frustration, hopelessness, and crime. The TM/C creates maps to supplement the negative news stories, looking for solutions through available resources in communities where crime is featured in the media:



(click on the map above to see "full-sized")

Sounds great, doesn't it? Who would oppose helping kids, families, and communities in need? When I first got here, I assumed maybe the business community would be a little removed and cold toward programs that do not immediately affect their bottom line.

I was wrong. Companies like CVS have a strong philanthropic presence in the community:


So do many, if not all, of the Fortune 500/1000 companies in town:


And elite groups/organizations of professionals, such as lawyers:

Law firms, businesses, other professionals - many see that investing in the area's impoverished communities can help build new markets, replenish struggling markets, and groom new employees, for the benefit of the local economy and in the fight against crime. These organizations are invaluable sources of desperately-needed revenue, volunteers, and information-sharing for T/M programs everywhere. TM/C wants to create new partnerships and inspire more participation among professionals/businessmen everywhere.

We are excited to have a new relationship with The Field Museum.

Please do let The Tutor/Mentor Connection know if you would like to hear more, join our network, partner up, become involved (volunteer, collaborate, spread the word, or donate)... or participate in the conference this fall.

Friday, October 3, 2008

Chicago's Baha'i, Buddhist, Hindu, and Muslim Faith Groups


(click on the map above to see "full-sized")

Continuing to look at the Tutor/Mentor Institute's document,"How Faith Communities Can Lead Volunteer Mobilization For Tutor/Mentor Programs"...

Up to this point, I've looked at the locations of known Jewish Congregations and Christian Churches. Of course, there are many in the Chicago area who adhere to faiths that are neither Christian nor Jewish. Followers of the Baha'i, Buddhist, Hindu, and Muslim faiths are also in strong positions to take leadership roles and "point members to tutor/mentor programs that already exist, or to neighborhoods, where new programs need to be created."

Again, please take a look at the blog entry for Chicago's Places of Worship for more information on how this can happen, why it's so important, and how all faith communities - regardless of denomination or belief - can use the T/MC's strategies to increase the reach, frequency and consistency of tutoring and mentoring programs.

Pay a visit to the T/MC website to get information about T/M programs in all parts of the region.

And, go to the T/MC Program Locator, or the Interactive Zip Code Map to find locations of programs that can use your volunteer or donor help.

Friday, September 26, 2008

Mass-Market Retailers and Tutoring/Mentoring (CVS Example)

I saw an article in the Chicago Sun-Times print-edition business section on August 26th with the headline "CVS Finds Its Inner Beauty." (I'd link to it, but for some reason, it's been removed from the Sun-Times archive.)

Any rate, the reporter, Sandra Guy, was focusing on CVS' "Beauty 360" boutiques. While this has little to do with poverty and tutoring/mentoring, there was one line in there that made me start to think. "CVS expanded its Chicago presence two years ago when it acquired 60 stand-alone Osco drugstores and started building new stores in growing neighborhoods."

Perhaps companies with multiple locations in a city... "mass market retailers such as Walgreens and CVS [who] are trying to position themselves into more of the heath and beauty and wellness areas," would be interested in working to develop the community's wellness in other ways.

CVS LOCATIONS, shown with "Failing Schools"

(click on the map above to see "full-sized" version)

So I headed to the company website and, sure enough, in the CVS "community" link, the corporate website states that "as our company continues to grow, and touch the lives of more people, we strive to make the biggest and best impact possible in the communities we serve."

They explain that "giving back to our communities is a deeply ingrained value that has defined our culture since the company’s founding in the 1960s. Our Vision to improve the quality of human life inspires us to extend our support and try to make a difference. Our contributions, including grants made through the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust, corporate giving, employee volunteerism and in-kind donations, touch people from all walks of life, and reflect the diversity of the thousands of communities in which our customers, clients and colleagues live and work."

Wow! This is exactly what tutoring and mentoring programs need. And not to single out CVS... they and their charitable spirit just got me to thinking. I bet there are tons of companies with a presence in every corner of the city - with locations in affluent areas as well as impoverished areas. All with an interest in the community.



CVS LOCATIONS, shown with Tutor/Mentor Programs

(click on the map above to see "full-sized" version)


I realize that these mass-market retailers would have difficulty funding tutor/mentor programs near every location, but perhaps a company like CVS could work to develop strategies that help programs in every location get volunteers, donors, and support from other businesses, churches and hospitals.

Perhaps they could sponsor the Tutor/Mentor Connection, creating a "be a volunteer tutor/mentor" link on their web site... or point to links like the T/MC web site which help people learn where, why and how they can be involved.

Some companies may already even be using maps to plan store locations, or to analyze their philanthropy, social marketing, and volunteer involvement strategies. If companies share their strategies on their own web sites, T/MC can point to them as "best practices," and other companies can learn to duplicate good ideas in more places.

This may seem at odds with the competitive nature of business. When Dan Bassill first proposed some of these ideas to me, my first thoughts were, "Companies sharing strategies? Companies "giving money away"? What's in it for them? Why would they do that?"

But think about it. Isn't it possible that, through collaboration and charity, businesses could develop the workforce it needs for the 21st century, instead of having to go out of state and overseas, thus keeping jobs and dollars in the local economy? (Not to mention creating new markets from revitalized neighborhoods, where once impoverished employees now have money to spend.)

As always, please contact the Tutor/Mentor Connection if you'd like to be a sponsor and if you'd like their help developing tutor/mentor strategies for your company.

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Get Your College Involved (Time Magazine)

I had just finished this past week's blog about how politicians such as Congressman Danny Davis, who share the T/MC and Barack Obama's interest in "Service," can use the Tutor/Mentor Connection's (T/MC) maps as tools to help build additional support for tutor/mentor programs...

When on my way home, I saw the week's issue of Time Magazine, featuring McCain and Obama on the cover. The headline read, "Second annual National Service Issue." How perfect. Another exploration of this word "service" that both candidates keep throwing around. So I'll be looking at some of this issue's articles in the near future, highlighting instances where our maps and Time's stories on "service" might collide in the name of tutoring and mentoring.

One section of this issue offers "21 Ways To Serve America" - a list of quick and easy ways you can serve America, each written by important leaders in different sectors of society.

For instance, Lawrence S. Bacow, president of the prestigious Tufts University in Boston, contributed an essay titled "Get Your College Involved." He writes that "Colleges and universities have a special responsibility to educate the next generation of active, engaged citizens... If we are to address this nation's major challenges, we need people across the political spectrum to serve in government, to run for office and to work to build stronger, more vibrant communities... Helping young people pursue their passion for service is one of the best investments our society can make." I immediately thought of all the alumni and college-aged volunteers working with the "next generation of active, engaged citizens" at Tutor/Mentor programs throughout the city.

(click on the map above to see "full-sized" version)

President Bacow also references the fact that many "colleges have set up programs to facilitate community service."

This is great news! Since they are in such close proximity to high-poverty neighborhoods where students have a dire need for more tutoring and mentoring. In fact there is a document in the Tutor/Mentor Institute's library called "University Connection," wherein the T/MC demonstrates how beneficial the T/M programs are for universities themselves, in an effort to secure an even greater investment by academia in T/M programs.

(click on the map above to see "full-sized" version)

But the "University Connection" document does not only show how tutoring and mentoring benefits universities. It also discusses goals and strategies universities can use in implementing new initiatives. If not doing so already for instance, university leaders might consider "operating mentoring-to-career programs" themselves. Or perhaps, a university's faculty or student body can "lead mobilizations that recruit students, faculty and workplace volunteers who support the growth of tutor/mentor programs near the university and throughout the city"...

Both of these are important (and needed) roles academia can play in their own best interest, and in the fight against poverty.

Monday, September 15, 2008

Working with Maps and Politicians To Promote the Development of T/M Programs

Barack Obama told an audience in Mt. Vernon, Iowa last year that:

“Your own story and the American story are not separate — they are shared. And they will both be enriched if we stand up together, and answer a new call to service to meet the challenges of our new century … I will ask for your service and your active citizenship when I am president of the United States.”

His platform's focus on "Service" has been brought up a lot in recent weeks, and promises to be a focus of future political strategy.

While Obama is busy campaigning for the Presidency at the moment, many Democratic U.S. Representatives are already serving as elected leaders, and are entrenched in positions where they can be unifying figures in his/her districts, serving to organize and promote service-oriented programs such as Tutor/Mentor Programs.

I would like to focus on the Illinois 7th Congressional District today - currently represented by Congressman Danny Davis - as another example of how the Tutor/Mentor Connection's (T/MC) maps can be used as tools to help politicians and their constituants work to create strategies that promote the development of tutor/mentor programs.

(click on the map above to see "full-sized" version)

Similar to Illinois Sentor Emil Jones, Congressman Davis works with a constituency that is split between city and suburban voters. This Chicago border marks a clear division between the highly impoverished West side, and the relatively affluent near west suburbs.

Notice how commuters use the Eisenhower (I290) expressway, daily, to get downtown, bypassing the heavy poverty areas along the way. Commuter trains such as the CTA's green and blue lines also provide east-west access through the heart of the 7th District.

There is a noticible tie between "failing" schools and poverty visible on this map. Pockets of failing schools represent areas where students need more tutoring/mentoring than they are receiving. This has been looked at in detail in a recent blog. Fortunately, highways provide access for commuters interested in "service" to volunteer or make donations, in support of tutor/mentor programs in these areas of high poverty.

Descriptions of these individual tutor/mentor programs (green stars on the map) can be found using the Tutor/Mentor Program Locator Database.


(click on the map above to see "full-sized" version)

In this map, we show Universities and Hospitals that may (or may not) already be working with the district's tutor/mentor programs. As we've discussed in earlier blogs, Universities and Hospitals have important and intimate relationships with their communities, and can work to support the growth of Tutor/Mentor programs in their district.

Imagine that each hospital or university on this map is hosting learning circles, with the organizations' leaders actively developing engagement strategies to reach youth throughout the entire district. For more information, please review the presentation for the Tutor/Mentor Hospital Connection.



(click on the map above to see "full-sized" version)

As discussed in the blog on Chicago's Places of Worship, the Tutor/Mentor Institute has a document called "How Faith Communities Can Lead Volunteer Mobilization For Tutor/Mentor Programs, detailing how "churches in affluent suburban areas, as well as in inner city areas, can be delivering sermons on a regular basis, that tie scripture and service, and point members to tutor/mentor programs that already exist, or to neighborhoods, where new programs need to be created."

Here we look at Baptist churches, Catholic churches, and other "general" Christian congregations in the 7th.

(click on the map above to see "full-sized" version)

And here are the Episcopal, Lutheran, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches in the district. Again, each of these locations represent sites where congregations can meet to learn about tutoring and mentoring, and where church leaders can evangelize to get donors to contribute to the growth of programs.

Please also take a look at Tutor/Mentor Institute's suggested communications strategy for Faith Communities.

In general, I am hopeful that these maps can be used as important tools by leaders throughout Chicago who share the T/MC and Barack Obama's interest in "Service," and that hopefully a high powered political figure like Danny Davis can take a look at them, help mobilize other public and private leaders in his district, and build additional support needed for tutor/mentor programs.

I should mention, if it's not clear, that these maps are not intended to show where service work is, or is not occurring. They are also not meant to endorse, or criticize elected leaders. The voters should make those decisions.